Widdershins Podcast

This week in my conversation with Seth Shostak, we chat about SETI and their search for intelligent extraterrestrial life and trying to find evidence that there’s someone out there, other than us. I first heard Seth in his TED talk where he made a very grand prediction that we will hear from aliens in the next decade so it was exciting to hear that he still believes this to be true. See more from Dr Seth Shostak #sethshostak Website: https://www.seti.org/our-scientists/seth-shostak  Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on Invasion of the Body Snachers by Jack Finney and can be purchased here.ET is (probably) out there -- get ready - Seth Shostak Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins! Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandise Facebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/ Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

It was such a wonderful experience chatting with Professor Paul Davies, who is an incredible theoretical physicist, cosmologist, astrobiologist and best-selling science author of 31 books. He has published hundreds of research papers and review articles across a range of scientific fields. He is also well-known as a media personality and science populariser in several countries.Professor Davies is the author of Demon In The Machine which, in the very first chapter, begins with the question ‘What is life?’ so I naturally had to begin with the question of panspermia, which is the theory which suggests that life on Earth did not originate on our planet. Big questions were tackled this week as we dove into our origins, whether or not we are alone and the hunt for a new earth.See more from Professor Paul Davies Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PhysicistPaulDavies/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-davies-33634114  Website: http://cosmos.asu.edu/  Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle and can be purchased here.The Demon in the Machine: How Hidden Webs of Information Are Finally Solving the Mystery of Life - by Paul Davies Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins! Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandise Facebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsP Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/ Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

In this episode, I chat with Robert Powell who is both a UFOlogist and Chemist.I sought out to interview Robert after I found he was the co-author of the book UFOs and Government alongside a cast of international authors headed by Michael Swords, a retired professor at Western Michigan University with extensive knowledge of UFO history, and managed by Robert Powell, director of research at the Mutual UFO Network.The authors spent more than four years researching thousands of government documents and archives in order to present a work of historical scholarship on the U.S. government’s bungling response to the UFO phenomenon. How and why the U.S. government—and other governments around the world—have dealt with the UFO phenomenon during most of a century is the focus of this historical inquiry.We cover a lot of ground in this episode including the real-life x-files, how many sightings are legitimate and the most convincing, the element 115, the government, and the future with aliens.See more from Robert PowellFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/explorescu/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/explorescu?lang=en Website: https://www.explorescu.org/  Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Däniken's and can be purchased here.UFOs and Government: A Historical Inquiry by Michael Swords and Robert Powell  Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

Season 4 is all about making contact with Aliens and how to do so effectively.This week I chat with Dr Douglas Vakoch, president of Messaging Extraterrestrial Intelligence (METI) a nonprofit research and educational organization dedicated to transmitting intentional signals to nearby stars and hopefully Aliens. There are so many things to consider, wether or not we will be dealing with AI extraterrestrials, how to send messages that express the better traits of humans, how to respond to signals without starting a war. "There may be more 'wise' civilizations out there, I would bet on humanity being the civilization with the most exquisite balance of joy and sorry of any species in the milky way." - Dr Douglas Vakoch See more from Dr Douglas VakochFacebook: https://facebook.com/METIintl Twitter: https://twitter.com/METIintlLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/19190208/admin/ Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on The War of The Worlds by H.G Wells and can be purchased here. Message sent from northern Norway, to a star 12 light-years from Earth:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hYAz68lJzoThe need to take a long terms perspective: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryLWL-24GMoDr Vakoch discussing the messages people would want to send and an analysis of  the words to use in those messages: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx9i-KRMCCc Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week I chat with Dr Federico Carminati the chief innovation officer at CERN openlab. Dr Carminati is investigating potential applications of machine learning and quantum computing for high-energy physics.We talk about the increasing need for stable quantum computing and the race to discover the elusive algorithm that will inevitably launch quantum computers into the mainstream market. The penny drops when I finally realise the true value of efficient quantum computing coupled with machine learning being the ability to truly analyse data for the benefit of mankind. See more from Dr Fedrico CarminatiFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/fcacarminatiTwitter: https://twitter.com/fcacarminati?lang=en  Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on The Quantum Spy: A Thriller by David Ignatius and can be purchased here. Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week I have a conversation with Casey Pfluger, the founder of Cortex Brainwave Technologies who is building a brain-computer interface headset (BCI) for the treatment of ADHD and Autism. Casey has spent the past two decades as a medical researcher and has a degree in Biotechnology, Molecular Genetics and Microbiology. The goal of his BCI project is to build technology that allows people to effortlessly harness the potential of neurofeedback in reducing symptoms of neurocognitive conditions.See more from Casey PflugerCortex Brainwave Technologies: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cortexbraintech/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ouroboros/?originalSubdomain=au Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week I have a conversation with Dr Sofia Vallecorsa from CERN Open-Lab regarding AI and The Singularity.There are two sides of the camp on AI. The first is that AI and robots will take over the world and the second is that we are so far away from this reality we have enough time to make sure this doesn't happen. In my conversation with Dr Sofia Vallecorsa we discuss her work at Cern, home of the Large Hadron Collider. Sofia's extensive experience in software development in the High Energy Physics domain, in particular on Quantum Computing and Deep Learning applications makes for a very interesting conversation on the future of AI. Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge and can be purchased here. Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week I have a conversation with Dr. Jordi Prat Camps on Invisibility Cloaking devices and the technologies, fabrics, and science being developed to make this once sci-fi idea a reality. Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells and can be purchased here. See more from Dr Jordi Prat CampsWebsite: https://pratcamps.weebly.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-prat-camps-a9bba177/ Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

Dr Fiona Kerr discussing the ethical approach to cyborgs.

This week I have a conversation with Professor Tom Drummond that is centred around the ethical dilemmas of Ai and robots governing the world, driving our cars and potentially participating in society alongside humans or even.... as humans.

This week in season 2 episode 4 we launch into parallel universes and multiverses. My conversation with Professor Yasunori Nomura was deep and I did not expect the reality that we are simply waiting on the technology to allow the science to flourish. For us to view inside the 'bubble' of a parallel universe, we will need quantum computing to speed up...the race is on so we couldn't be waiting that long...could we?Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on The Man Who Folded Himself and can be purchased here. See more from Professor Yasunori Nomura:https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/faculty/yasunori-nomura https://physics.berkeley.edu/people/faculty/yasunori-nomura https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yasunori_Nomura https://www.facebook.com/yasunori.nomura.7  Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

In part 2 of our two-part series we are joined this week by Caroline Mallary a PhD student at the University of Massachusettes and our past guest Dr Gaurav Khanna from Episode 1 on Hyperspace. This episode is more focussed on time travel where last week's episode we dove right into time loops. Caroline Mallary has discovered that her time machine, although in its simplest form, does not need exotic matter... matter once thought to be required if a time machine was ever to be built.Further Reading and Resources:Carolines Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6PGaygVwA&feature=youtu.beGaurav and Caroline's paper: Closed Timelike Curves and "Effective" Superluminal Travel with Naked Line Singularities  https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.09505Gaurav's article: Time Travel is Technically Possible—But We Need An Object With Infinite Mass. https://www.newsweek.com/time-travel-infinite-mass-einstein-hawking-relativity-time-loop-singularity-1257527 This episode was inspired by the book: The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy -Douglas Adams See more from Dr. Gaurav Khanna at: http://gravity.phy.umassd.eduFollow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favorite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.coWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford - The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

In part 1 of our two part series we are joined this week by Caroline Mallary a PhD student at the University of Massachusettes and our past guest Dr Gaurav Khanna from Episode 1 on Hyperspace.  The theory of time travel and time loops we discuss require two long spaceships parked in parallel. One moves forward really fast, while the other is parked. Caroline explains that a time loop forms between the two cars such that space and time folds on itself. Although almost impossible to create and imagine right now, the science is now here and we have just witnessed another breakthrough in space-time.  Carolines Videos https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ub6PGaygVwA&feature=youtu.beGaruav and Caroline's paper: Closed Timelike Curves and "Effective" Superluminal Travel with Naked Line Singularities  https://arxiv.org/abs/1708.09505  Gaurav's article: Time Travel is Technically Possible—But We Need An Object With Infinite Mass. https://www.newsweek.com/time-travel-infinite-mass-einstein-hawking-relativity-time-loop-singularity-1257527

This week in season 2 episode 1 we launch into the Time Travel season with an episode on portals. I first learned of Dr Broussard when I came across an NBC article stating that Dr Broussard from Oak Ridge National Laboratory in eastern Tennessee, is trying to open a portal to a parallel universe. My conversation with Leah did get a little science-y and that is what I love most about my interviews, they introduce me to concepts and ideas that have been itching at me for years. Could there be a parallel universe?  I think yes, but can we prove it? well with the fire in the belly of Dr Leah Broussard. I think yes. Further Reading and Resources:This episode is based on the books in the Narnia series and can be purchased here. See more from Dr Leah Broussard at:Twitter: https://twitter.com/leahjbroussard  Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member-only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.com Widdershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week on our episode I discuss Space Stations with Dr Brad Tucker https://www.facebook.com/DrBradTucker an Astrophysicist/Cosmologist at the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, Mt. Stromlo Observatory and the National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, at the Australian National University.Further Reading and Resources:This episode was inspired by the book: Downbelow Station - CJ Cherryh https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1See more from Dr Brad Tucker at:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrBradTuckerTwitter: http://twitter.com/btucker22Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.comWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week on our episode I discuss Space Travel with Dr Seth Shostak #sethshostak. Seth Shostak is involved with the search for intelligent extraterrestrial life at the SETI Institute in California—trying to find evidence that there’s someone out there. He is also committed to getting the public, especially young people, excited about astrobiology and science in general.Further Reading and Resources:Ted talk https://www.ted.com/talks/seth_shostak_et_is_probably_out_there_get_ready?language=enBig picture science http://radio.seti.org/Sex in space https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SLwoYUvEi6AHR8799 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIadRr0QX_QThis episode was inspired by the book: Foundations - Isaac Asimov https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1See more from Dr Seth Shostak at: #sethshostakFollow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.comWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week I discuss Wormholes with Dr Jordi Prat-Camps https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-prat-camps-a9bba177/ a physicist from Barcelona with a background in electromagnetism, superconductivity, and metamaterials, with a very applied vision.Further Reading and Resources:Contact by Carl Sagan:https://wordery.com/contact-carl-sagan-9781501197987#oid=%202173_1This episode was inspired by the book: Final days - BY Gary Gibson https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1 and the movie Interstellar https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_z-fCIqm4KYWe also chat about the book 'Contact' by Carl Sagan. You can get your hands on 'Contact' HERE.See more from Dr Jordi Prat-Camps at: https://pratcamps.weebly.com/Follow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.comWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

This week on our episode I discuss Exoplanets with Dr Cassandra Hall Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=%40cassidentprone&src=typd a Winton Exoplanet Fellow at the University of Leicester, UK. Dr Hall works in the Theoretical Astrophysics Group in the School of Physics and Astronomy.Further Reading and Resources:This episode was inspired by the book: Dying of the Light - George R.R Martin https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1See more from Dr Cassandra Hall at: Twitter: https://twitter.com/search?q=%40cassidentprone&src=typdFollow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.comWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant

Coming next week we interview Dr Cassandra Hall on Exoplanets. The book who's theme we investigated was Dying of the Light - By George R.R Martin https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1Subscribe to be the first to hear when the episode drops next Monday.

This week on our debut episode I discuss Hyperspace with Dr Gaurav Khanna www.linkedin.com/in/gaurav-khanna a Professor in the Physics Department, and the Associate Director of the Center for Scientific Computing at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth. He works on a variety of challenging problems in theoretical and computational physics. Dr Gaurav introduces me to hyperspace and blackholes and as a non-scientist (although learning everyday) I learn very quickly that in theory travel through a blackhole won't necessarily be dangerous at all. In fact science indicates the 'Yes' if you have a large enough blackhole and if it is spinning fast enough then travel through would be safe and that the main issue is what is on the other side of the singularity?Further Reading and Resources:Life of the Cosmos's written by Lee Smolin: https://www.bookdepository.com/Life-Cosmos-Lee-Smolin/9780195126648?ref=grid-view&qid=1574913237375&sr=1-6&a_aid=widdershins&a_bid=ba35a05bRotating black holes may serve as gentle portals for hyperspace travel: http://theconversation.com/rotating-black-holes-may-serve-as-gentle-portals-for-hyperspace-travel-107062This episode was inspired by the book: The Hyperspace Trap - Christopher G Nuttall https://widdershinspodcast.com/season-one%3A-space-1See more from Dr Gaurav Khanna at: http://gravity.phy.umassd.eduFollow Widdershins and please Rate and Review us in your favourite Podcast app so others can easily find Widdershins!Visit our website: www.widdershinspodcast.com/ for member only access and merchandiseFacebook: www.facebook.com/WiddershinsPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/WiddershinsPInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/widdershins_podcast/Email us: connect@widdershinspodcast.comWiddershins proudly uses the services of Letitia Stafford – The Ultimate Podcasting Virtual Assistant